In terms of broad women's societal empowerment, it was found that the classical modernization perspective and Human Development approach are important in explaining the phenomenon. Ms. Alexander's article is structured both logically and in keeping with its purpose. Her study offers a broad range of data that are conducive to a broad view of the subject matter, which was inherent in the purpose of the research. I believe that the author did an admirable job of consolidating a huge amount of data to focus upon the various issues inherent in women's empowerment.

The only point of criticism that I would offer is that the range of study was perhaps somewhat broad for the relative brevity of the paper. However, this in itself can be seen as a positive aspect of the study. It provides a valuable springboard for future and extended study in the field. Furthermore, the author treated her topic so well, that the criticism can only be offered in relative terms. In no way do I feel that the piece omitted important information as a result of its data range. Instead, I believe that all the data were consolidated exceptionally well to provide answers to the initial questions, substantiation to the hypotheses, and even additional, unexpected information.

Personally, I initially chose the article because I perceived it as highly relevant to the world today. Democracy, empowerment, and equality are still very much in process in many nations. The fact that Ms. Alexander included a wide range of countries across a wide range of development levels also makes it extremely relevant and important to the discipline of human development itself. Many studies of the kind limit themselves in terms of data, precisely because of the space constraints mentioned above. In my view, the author showed extraordinary courage in the sheer amount of data she collected. It served her purpose...

This provides valuable grounds not only for further study, but also for the current understanding of women's situations across the world. This contributes both to the various fields within human development and to the understanding of cultural and political issues inherent in these studies.
In terms of language and style, the piece is very well-written. It uses a style and level of language inherent in academic study, and is appropriate for reading by the academic community. I would therefore highly recommend it to all academia with an interest in the field of women's studies. It was well-structured and logical, achieving the aims and purposes stated in the introduction. However, I would not recommend it to students who have not significant developed their academic prowess.

In general, I found the article extremely relevant and informative on two levels, as mentioned above: the first is because of the general relevance of the subject matter; and the second is the fact that it addresses a new direction within the subject matter. Society today is very much in flux. The process of democratization and equality are by no means complete, especially on a global scale. Ms. Alexander's work provides valuable information for future study and for current understanding within women's studies.

Reference:

Alexander, Amy C. (2007, Oct 31). Empowering Women: the Role of Economic Development, Political Culture and Institutional Design in the World's Societies. UC Irvine: Center for the Study of Democracy. Retrieved from http://escholarship.org/uc/item/4974t33n